Time for Ballet

Tilly loves her ballet class.  What could be more fun?  She gets to wear special clothes, try out fancy new positions, and do her best cat impression.  But, when it's time for the big recital, Tilly learns another aspect of ballet: the preperformance jitters!

Perfect for the beginning ballerina, this gentle text combined with exuberant wand warm illustrations captures the joy and excitement brought on by everything from wearing your first tutu to practicing your first plié.

Adèle Geras married in 1967 and moved to Manchester, where she still lives with her husband and two daughters. She taught French at a girls' grammar school and started writing in 1973.

Her first book Tea at Mrs. Manderby's was published by Hamish Hamilton Children's Books in 1976.

Adèle particularly enjoys writing for young adults — her books explore relationships between people and strong emotions without losing sight of the need for a strong narrative line. For younger children she often injects an element of fantasy. Ozzy, the cat who narrates the Fantora Family Files has become one of Adèle's favourite characters and she says "he is seriously thinking of writing another book soon."

Adèle also writes poetry which has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. She is a voracious reader, a "fanatical" knitter and a lifelong movie-goer.